In brief: Additional damages won't be sought in Exxon Valdez spill

JUNEAU, Alaska - The state and federal governments have decided not to pursue $92 million in additional damages from Exxon Mobil Corp., citing the recovery of ducks and sea otters in Alaska's Prince William Sound after a devastating oil spill in 1989.

In a court filing this week, government attorneys said patches of lingering oil that remain can no longer be considered an impediment to the recovery of sea otters or harlequin ducks or a significant threat to their now-restored populations in the area affected by the Exxon Valdez spill.

German recall to affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles

German authorities on Thursday ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars fitted with emissions test-cheating software, a decision that will affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the 28-nation European Union.

German authorities said the recall would affect 2.4 million vehicles in Germany. Under EU rules, cars that are cleared in one country are automatically approved across the bloc, so the repeal also affects VW vehicles elsewhere in the union.

Transmission problem causes Kia's SUV recall

South Korea's Kia will recall 419,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because the transmission can be shifted out of park when the driver's foot isn't on the brake, a violation of safety laws. The recall covers Sorentos from the 2011 through 2013 model years. The problem has caused three injuries.

Citigroup helps drive gains on Wall Street

NEW YORK - Financial stocks surged on Thursday, helping push the market to its biggest gain in almost two weeks.

Citigroup jumped after reporting earnings rose 36 percent to $3.99 billion in the third quarter.

In other news

Goldman Sachs posted a 38 percent drop in earnings in the third quarter to $1.33 billion, missing analysts' estimates, as the bank was hurt by market turbulence and lower commodity prices.